There are – still – more than 11,000 people homeless. Homelessness figures have been record-breaking, (you might say exceeding their targets) for six months in a row.  But the Government’s targets for social housing have not even been met, never mind exceeded. This fact has been further compounded by the Department of Housing’s reported underspend of €340 million in its housing budget for last year, which raises further questions about the Department’s capacity and determination to lessen the severity of this crisis. 

At the end of July, we witnessed a surge in the number of deaths of people who were homeless or in emergency accommodation. Almost daily reports made the loss of life seem endless. In Dublin alone, ten deaths occurred in July – six men and four women – bringing the capital’s total for 2020 so… Read more »

  A tsunami does not just appear unheralded. Following an earthquake on the seafloor, inhabitants along the coast may receive one of two warnings before the waves arrive. Inundation in the form of a rapidly rising tide can precede the tsunami waves hitting shallow water. Alternatively, drawback is the less well-known warning sign as the… Read more »

Housing has remained firmly on the agenda throughout the General Election 2020 campaign. Previously, the JCFJ proposed three questions about housing which could be used in conversations with canvassers, to see what each party’s housing policy is, beyond slogans. To close this loop, answers about housing policy were also taken from their current manifestos.

“But let’s be fair about it. We all partied.”

It has been difficult to remain unmoved by the many images of homelessness and poverty which have confronted us in the past weeks and months. A young boy kneels to eat a warm meal provided by a soup kitchen. Using a piece of cardboard, probably provided by a parent, he is trying to prevent the… Read more »

  The Irish housing and homelessness crisis is a crucial election issue. In this guide to the topic, our Social Justice Advocate, Keith Adams says our incoming politicians need to answer questions about expenditure and payments to private landlords, as well as their position on the right to housing.